Washing machine tub holder



March 1, 1932. .1. PERKINS ET AL WASHING MACHINE TUB HOLDER Filed Sept. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 TORNEY.

March 1, 1932.

J. L PERKINS ET AL WASHING MACHINE TUB HOLDER Filed Sept. 20, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III I] I A III/I H l I INVENTORS AM a: I

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE JUL AN L. PERKINS, OF WEST SPRINGFIELD, AND 1111mm 1'). 03cm, or SPRI GFIELD,

MASSACHUSETTS, AssIGNoE mo SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS WASHING MACHINE TUB Application filed September 20, 1928. Serial No. 307,259.

Our invention relates to improvements in means for supporting tubs in washing machines; and the primary object of our invention is to produce comparatively simple and inexpensive, yet strong and durable, means of this character, which constitute a support for the tub, and may serve as an oscillator for the same, mits said tub to be tilted, and when tilted to be disengaged entirely-from the supporting members, thus rendering it easy venient for the operator to empty the tub, and to remove the tub altogether should occasion require. a

Heretofore it has been necessary, whenever a washing-machine tub'was emptied, either to dip or siphon the water out of the same, or to lift the tub with the water therein bodily oft of'its support and thenempty out the water,

the first of which procedures is tedious and time consuming, and the second laborious and requiring the expenditure of considerable strength. VVith our holder it is a very simple, easy, and convenient matter to tilt the tub into a position which enables all of the water therein to run out, and to lift the tub clear of the machine and take it away, if it be desired to do so for any purpose, also, in the last event, to return the tub toplace with the pivotal connection between it and thesupport restored, and to rock the tub from tilted position back into horizontal and normal position.

Another object is to provide a holder for a tub which at no point penetrates the tub or extends into the interior or above the floor thereof, but, nevertheless, has a connection of such a nature that said holder may serveas the direct oscillating medium for; the tub.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

We attain the objects and secure the advantages of our invention by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a practical and a pivotal connection that per i and con-:

form of our washing-machine tub holder showing the same in connection withparts o a washing machine, including the tub; Fig. 2, an enlarged, vertical section through one of the gravity supports of saidholder for said tub, taken generally onlines 22, looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 5; Fig. 3, anenlarged, bottom .plan" of the pivotal connection between said holder and said tub, which connectionis also gravity support of the holder tor the tub; Fig.4, an enlarged, vertical section through said connection, taken generally on lines H, looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 5; Fig. 5, a bottom plan of the holder and tub; Fig. 6, an elevation generally similar to the elevation in the first view, except that herein there is an oscillatory dolly in a stationary tub, and, Fig. 7, a bottom plan and V In each of Figs. 1 and 6 is represented at- 1 a transmission, case mounted on wheels 3-3 and a foot 5. J ournaled in the cases 1 in the first and second examples are drive shafts 6 and 6, respectively.

Reference will be had first toFigs. 1- to '5, inclusive. Atub is represented at 70 which tub has an imperforate bottom 8, and is provided on-one side near the top with a handle 9. Preferably the bottom 8 is set a short dis-' tance above the under edgeof the wall of the tub 7 O, and in the present example the outer edge or rim of said bottom is turned down to form a vertical flange 10 which is soldered or otherwise secured to the tub wall. The wall of the tub is beaded just above the bot- PERKINS MACHINE AND GEAR COMPANY, or wEsr other two 5 That portion of the tom 8 to strengthen said wall and assist in securing said bottom in place and supporting the wall thereon, and similarly beaded near the top for strengthening purposes, the beads being indicated by the numeral 11.

Secured to the tub bottom 8 on the under side thereof are two members having con-v cavities therein to form sockets 12, and a bracket 13. The bracket 13 has therein a central opening 14, two end extensions or flanges15 which fit against and are soldered or otherwise secured to the under-side of the bottom 8, and a bifurcated locking lug 16. The lug 16"extends downwardly from the inner'cdgeof the bracket 13 and curves for Wardly or outwardly, as best shown in Fig. 4, and the bifurcation of said lug consists of a central slot 17 which extends from a lug downwardly to open at the bottom through the bottom of said lug. The outer- Side of th'e'bracket 13 consists of a lip 18 that is soldered or "otherwise secured to the bottom flange 10, and said bracket also has vertical end pieces 19-19 thickened, as represented at 2020,'to form bearings or supportsfor a horizontal pivot pin 21 The'pin 21 has its terminals received and fixed in openings in the bearings 20.

' Although the brackets 13, with its pin 21, and the sockets 12 are rigidly secured tothe tub 70, said bracket and sockets-are parts of the holder as a whole. A center piece or hub 22, from which radiate three arms, ispinned at 23 to the shaft 6; One of the aforesaid arms, that indicated by the numera l'2et, extends outwardly from the hub 22 at right-angles to the vertical, central,

longitudinal plane ofthemachine, and the of the aforesaid arms extend obliquely fromsaid hub, each of said lastnamed arms-being indicated by the numeral 25, Each arm 25 is provided at the outer'end with a lug 26, which lug receivable in the recessin one of the sockets 12, the distance between the axial center of the hub and the axial center of' said lug be-- ing equal to the distance between the axial center-of the bottom 8 and the axial center of: said socket. 1

At the outer end of the arm 24' a crosshead'. 27 in and opening through the top and ends of which is a longitudinal slot 28 toreceive and support in the bottom thereof the 4 pin: 21, the distancebetween. the axis of the hub-22 and the center of the axis of. the curved bottom of the cross-head slot: 28 is equal to the distance betweenthe axial center of the bottom 8' and the center of the pin axis.

behind the cross-head. 28 is receivable slot 17 in the locking lug 16.

in: the

The-tub. 7 0 is mounted on and connected with onattache'd to thesupport, consisting of;

the hub 22 andthe arms'24 and2'5, by holding has a convex top arm 24. which is directlythe tub in tilted position, substantially as shown by broken lines in Fig. 1,.introducing the pin 21 into the cross-head slot 28 from above, and rocking said tub upwardly, over, and downwardly until it comes to rest with the sockets 12 on the lugs 26, said tub then being located with the bottom in a horizontal position. As the tub is rocked over onto the lugs 26, the pin 21 partially rotating in the cross-head 27, the arm 24 is received in the slot. 17 and the locking lug 16 is carried downwardly and forwardly beneath the terminal portions of said cross head, and thus secures said pin in the slot 28, prevents the tub 70 and the arm 24:, and to the lug and point a short distance below the top of -the socket connections between said tub and the arms 25, described above, when the hub 22 and said arms are oscillated by the shalt c,

which shaft is the transmissionmember that oscillates said hub and arms, said tub is similarly oscillated,being partially rotated first in one direction. and then in the other by and with said arms.

7 To empty the tub 7 0 it is simply necessary to grasp the handle 9,Vwhich= is onthe side of.

the tub opposite to'that where thepin' 21 is,located, tilt said tub, over into the position indicated by broken lines in. Fig. 1, the tubjrocking on and-with the pin 21 in the cross-head 27. After being emptied the tub 70 is rocked back again into normal position. Neither of these operations requires the expenditure of a great amount of strength, and each can be easily and quickly performed.

- As already explained, while the tub 70- is inrtilted position, it can be entirelydisen-- gaged. andremovedfromthe machine by lifting said tub to raise the pin 21 out of the slot 28', the tubbeing. so positioned at this time that the arm 24: is out of the slot 17 andthe" locking lug 16 is not in position to contact with the cross-head 27 when the tubzis raised. It is now seen thatthe support mounted, on. the shaft 6, andthe associatedandconnected parts and memberson the bottom of the' normal position tub 70, carry the latter in and oscillate the same, enable the tub to be tilted at an angle to enable the contents;

therein to-flow out, and to berocked back into normal position again, and permit the tub bers in. preventing independent rotary motion as between the tub 7O andthe support beneath the same, by, reason of thefact that the arm 24 is embraced between-the sidesaofthe slot 17 If desired, the lugsz26-a ante endslof the or swung over into normal position,

arms 25 may be provided with adjusting means, such as vertical bolts 29-29. tapped into and through said lugs from below to receive on their upper ends the sockets '12. The purpose of these bolts is to provide means for adjusting the tub 7 O, by turning either or both of said bolts up or down as may be necessary, until its bottom is level and its side vertical or exactly erect. These bolts may be omitted, and they are not needed in the second con struction or example described below.

In Fig. 6, the tub is stationary, and has therein an oscillating dolly 30 driven from the shaft 6, through the medium of a vertical shaft 31. The dolly 30 has an axial sleeve 32 which is mounted on a vertical hearing sleeve 33 that is secured to the bottom 8 of this tub. The shaft 31 has a collar 34 pinned at 35 thereto below the bearing 33, and said shaft extends upwardly through the bearing 33. The lower terminal of the shaft 31 is angular and tapered, as represented at 36, and adapted to fit into an angular and tapered socket in the top of the shaft 6. Secured to the top of the shaft 31 above the bearing 33 is an angular collar 37 that engages an angular part of the sleeve 32 above said bearing. The collar 37 is held in place on the shaft 31 and the top of the bearing 33 by means of a nut 38 screwed onto the upper terminal of said shaft.

The oscillating shaft 6" drives the shaft 31, through the medium of the angular ter minal 36, and said shaft drives the sleeve 32 and the dolly 30, through the medium of the angular collar 37. With the exception of the angular and tapered terminal 36 at the bottom of the shaft 31, these parts are old and well known.

Here the tub support has, in place of the oscillatory hub 22, a fixed hub 39 which is mounted on and rigidly connected with the transmission case 1 below. The shaft 6 extends upwardly through the hub 39 and oscillates therein. In other respects the two supports are similar.

The tilting and the removal and replacing of the tubs are accomplished in practically the same manner in both examples, but, when the tub in the second example is tilted, the bottom of the shaft 31 tips out of the socket in the shaft 6, and, when said tub is rocked said terminal reenters said socket, thus reestablishing the driving connection for the dolly.

The arm 24 in the second case necessarily extends out over one side of the machine, otherwise the tub could not be tilted to a sufficient degree, and, at such times as the first tub is to be tilted, the corresponding arm in the first case must be similarly positioned.

The socket in the top of the shaft 6, for the shaft terminal 36, is designated by the numeral 40.

Except in the particulars pointed out, the

two machines illustrated in' connectio'n'herewith are generally and specifically similar, as may be inferred from previously contained statements.

'More or less change in the shape, size, construction, and arrangement of some or all of the parts 'of this holder, in addition to those hereinbefore specifically pointed out, may be made, without departing from the spirit of our invention, or exceeding the scope of what is claimed.

' We claim:

1. The combination in awashing machine of an oscillatable shaft, a tub and a holder therefor comprising, a tub support provided with outwardly extending arms, the said tub being supported on said arms and a pivotal connection between a side of said tub and one of said arms whereby the tub may be tilted with respect to said support and oscillated therewith.

2. The combination in a washing machine of an .oscillatable shaft, a tub and a holder therefor comprising, a support, having arms extending radially therefrom, the said tub being normally supported on said arms in a concentric relation with respect to said shaft and pivotal connections between one of said arms and said tub whereby the tub may be oscillated by said support and tilted to an angular relation with respect thereto.

3. A washing machine comprising in combination, a transmission case provided with a bearing hub, an oscillatable drive shaft in said hub provided with a socket in the upper end 7 thereof, supporting arms extending from said hub, a tub resting on said arms when in an upright position, pivotal connections between said tub and one of said arms whereby it may be swung from said upright position to a tilt ing position, a rotatable member in said tub provided with a portion detachably engaging the socket of the drive shaft when the tub is in upright position whereby said member may be driven.

4. The combination, in a washing-machine tub and holder, of a center piece and radial arms connected therewith, one of said arms having a cross-head in which is a slot, and the others of said arms having supporting parts, of a tub provided on the bottom with a pivot pin receivable in said slot, and with parts to engagesaid supporting parts. 7

5. The combination, in a washing-machine tub and holder, with a center piece and arms connected therewith, one of said arms having a cross-head in which is a slot, and the others of said arms having supporting parts, of a tub provided on the bottom with a pivot pin receivable in said slot, with a locking lug to retain said pin in said slot when the tub and support are in a certain relative position.

6. The combination, in a washing-machine tub and holder, with a center piece, and arms connected therewith, one of said arms having a cross-head with a slot therein, and the others of said arms having supporting parts, of a tub provided on the bottom with parts'to engage said supporting parts, and a bracket se cured to the bottom of said tub, having a locking lug bifurcated to receive said first-named arm, and provided with a pin receivable in said slot, said lug extending downwardly and partly around said cross-head and being adapted to engage said vent the tub from being lifted to raise said pin out of said slot except when said tub is tilted. c

JULIAN L. PERKINS. HIRAM D. CROFT.

cross-head and pre 

